The brief gives a snapshot of the sessions, discussions and other activities happening in the Africa Hall this week. We hope it will remind you of the various debates and help you track down anything – or anyone – you may have missed. We welcome your contributions, comments and ideas; look out for anyone from the editorial team - reporting, blogging, and taking pictures – or contact the conference secretariat.

This week, we welcome policymakers, academics, researchers, practitioners, farmer and trader organizations, international organizations, and the private sector to this event organized by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the African Union Commission (AUC), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), and the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA).

The conference will showcase practical solutions to the problem of low agricultural productivity in Africa and highlight how increasing productivity can resolve food insecurity on the continent.

In this issue, we spotlight perspectives on the issues that representatives of the organizers shared in video messages.

We also have interviews and a roundup of vital information on the program and your visit to Addis Ababa.